Transforming Concepts Into Clinical Trials and Creating a Multisite Network: The Leadership and Operations Center of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group

Advancing Diagnostics to Address Antibacterial Resistance: The Diagnostics and Devices Committee of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group

Diagnostics are a cornerstone of the practice of infectious diseases. However, various limitations frequently lead to unmet clinical needs. In most other domains, diagnostics focus on narrowly defined questions, provide readily interpretable answers, and use true gold standards for development. In contrast, infectious diseases diagnostics must contend with scores of potential pathogens, dozens of clinical syndromes, emerging pathogens, rapid evolution of existing pathogens and their associated resistance mechanisms, and the absence of gold standards in many situations. In spite of these challenges, the importance and value of diagnostics cannot be underestimated. Therefore, the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group has identified diagnostics as 1 of 4 major areas of emphasis. Herein, we provide an overview of that development, highlighting several examples where innovation in study design, content, and execution is advancing the field of infectious diseases diagnostics.

Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections: Research Priorities, Accomplishments, and Future Directions of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group

Antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic gram-negative bacteria is one of the most pressing challenges in the field of infectious diseases and is one of 4 key areas of unmet medical need identified by the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG). The mission of the Gram-Negative Committee is to advance our knowledge of these challenging infections and implement studies to improve patient outcomes. Studies have fallen primarily into 2 broad categories: prospective cohort studies and interventional trials. Among the observational studies, CRACKLE (Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella pneumoniae and Other Enterobacteriaceae) has contributed seminal multicenter data describing risk factors and clinical outcomes of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in sentinel US hospitals. Building on this success, CRACKLE II will expand the network to hospitals across the United States and Colombia. Similar protocols have been proposed to include Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (SNAP and POP studies). In addition, the CREST study (Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Solid Organ Transplant Patients) has provided pivotal data on extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae and CRE carriage among solid organ transplant recipients to inform management of this vulnerable patient population. Two clinical trials to define novel ways of using an existing antibiotic, fosfomycin, to treat ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (one that has completed enrollment and the other in late protocol development) will determine the clinical efficacy of fosfomycin as step-down oral therapy to treat complicated urinary tract infections. Additional clinical studies and trials using immunotherapeutic or newly approved agents are also in the planning stage, with the main goals of generating actionable data that will inform clinical decision making and facilitate development of new treatment options for highly resistant gram-negative bacterial infections.

Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections: Research Priorities, Accomplishments, and Future Directions of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group

Antimicrobial resistance in gram-positive bacteria remains a challenge in infectious diseases. The mission of the Gram-Positive Committee of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) is to advance knowledge in the prevention, management, and treatment of these challenging infections to improve patient outcomes. Our committee has prioritized projects involving methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) due to the scope of the medical threat posed by these pathogens. Approved ARLG projects involving gram-positive pathogens include (1) a pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics study to evaluate the impact of vancomycin dosing on patient outcome in MRSA bloodstream infection (BSI); (2) defining, testing, and validating innovative assessments of patient outcomes for clinical trials of MRSA-BSI; (3) testing new strategies for "step-down" antibiotic therapy for MRSA-BSI; (4) management of staphylococcal BSIs in neonatal intensive care units; and (5) defining the impact of VRE bacteremia and daptomycin susceptibility on patient outcomes. This article outlines accomplishments, priorities, and challenges for research of infections caused by gram-positive organisms.

The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group: Progress Report and Work in Progress

The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG), with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, was created in June 2013. Its mission is to develop, prioritize, and implement a clinical research agenda that addresses the public health threat of antibacterial resistance. This article reports on the progress that the ARLG has made to date in fulfilling its mission. Since inception, the ARLG has received and reviewed >70 study proposals, initiated >30 studies, executed >300 agreements, included data from >7000 subjects, published >45 manuscripts, and provided opportunities for 26 mentees. Despite this substantial progress, there remains significant work to be accomplished. This article also describes the considerable challenges that lie ahead.